sassafrisk: <user name=e8luhs site=tumblr.com> (Can't Believe You)
sassafrisk ([personal profile] sassafrisk) wrote in [community profile] melodiesofeternity2018-11-16 11:26 am

Player Plot: Winter Isn't Coming, it's Already Here

Who: Everybody who signed up for the event.
When: November 23rd-30th
Where: The Uncharted Territories
What: Frisk leads an expedition into the North to try and find Hades. It doesn't go well.
Warnings/Notes: Post a toplevel to each of the segments below if you want. Encounters will be posted under the appropriate toplevel. For combat, I'd appreciate it if you put where your putting your passive job stat boosts in the subject line of your first post, plus any other boosts your character may have. Thank you!


THE STAGING GROUND (DAY ONE)
The directions that the volunteers have been sent over mail lead to a chocobo ranch just a day away from Armstrong Fort. For a groundbreaking journey into the unknown, the staging ground for Frisk’s expedition isn’t all that impressive. A quaint, if run-down, farmhouse lies next to the chocobos’ grazing patch, where Frisk can be seen arguing with a surly-looking Elezen. White chocobos coo at the new arrivals next to a mound of barely organized high-quality camping gear, staring at them curiously (or blankly, depending on how much intelligence to ascribe to chocobos). It’s a brisk November morning, and the cold bites into marrow of one’s bones as frost-encrusted dead grass crunches beneath the chocobos’ feet. Bleak grey clouds block out the sun, threatening snow but never quite delivering. Resignation and bleakness permeate the air. This certainly isn’t an auspicious start to an already dubious quest.

INTO THE VAST (DAY ONE)
The first day of the expedition is, in a word, boring. Dreary, depressing, monotonous, and several other words of similar caliber would also be apt descriptors. The moody weather doesn’t change through the long hours of plodding towards Armstrong Fort, the clouds oscillating between grey and sullen, and black and intimidating; but always refusing to actually burst and bring down snow on the party’s head. Not even random encounters deign to make an appearance to spice up the day, due to the extensive efforts of Tark Varentain’s military. Perhaps the only redeeming factor of this first day is that the flat terrain and docile chocobos make the actual riding of the birds a breeze, with only the most inept of chocobo riders--such as Frisk--falling off or bruising their rumps through other means. With MogNet reception growing spottier as the team approaches the Claus Snowfields, the only way to pass the time is with conversation.

ARMSTRONG FORT (NIGHT ONE)
When Armstrong Fort appears on the horizon near sundown, it brings a sudden change in weather. Snowflakes begin falling from the sky, increasing in numbers and force as the expedition party makes its way towards the imposing fortress. After just thirty minutes, it’s nearly impossible to see ten feet past your chocobo’s beak. Thankfully, the white chocobos are used to such conditions, so the expedition party still makes good time. The party arrives at Armstrong Fort an hour after the inclement weather begins, and they’re greeted by grim guards who refuse to let them in after a solid fifteen minutes of arguing with Frisk, despite the permit for lodging that they display.

Inside, the fort is just as bleak as the outside, although in a significantly different way. Primarily elezen and human soldiers huddle around sputtering fires on the walls, peering through the snowstorm looking for any signs of monsters. The cries of the wounded echo from the medical hall, although all of the soldiers remain stoic even to their comrades’ pain. If pressed, one of the guards will begrudgingly explain that without a regular shipment of mana potions, their healers often can’t use magic on every wounded soldier, forcing them to do it the old-fashioned way.

The empty bunks that the volunteers are escorted to are uncomfortable, cold, and barren, but it’s marginally better than sleeping on the floor. Marginally. But whatever slumber the party gets is interrupted at one in the morning, when a pack of ferocious yetis attacks the walls. The soldiers stationed at Armstrong Fort are used to such assaults and don’t need any help fending off the monsters, but if any of the adventurers give their assistance anyways, they’ll earn the guards’ grudging respect and perhaps a little something for their trouble.

CLAUS SNOWFIELDS (DAYS TWO AND THREE)
The volunteers are awoken just before the crack of dawn, dragged (by force if need be) to a breakfast of heated ration block and hustled out the door before the sun would even peek over the horizon if it wasn’t completely obscured by the endless snowstorm. From there, a boring journey becomes downright miserable.

Everybody has to huddle uncomfortably close together on their chocobos to keep from losing each other in the oppressive whiteness of the storm. Even the high-end survival gear that the volunteers are wearing only slightly blunts the biting edge of the cold, the raw frigidity of the environment digging deep into the marrow of the bones and nestling there like some twisted parasite. The white chocobos, as surefooted as they are in this environment, struggle against the howling gales, each step forward seeming like a monumental accomplishment.

It isn’t long before all sense of direction is lost. Compasses stop working just a few hours in, their only use being pointing a way vaguely forward to venture towards. The only reliable way to tell the time is the frequency and strength of monster attacks; as the day inches towards night at an agonizingly slow pace, more and more monsters bound out of the snow to savage the party. At the start of this leg of the journey, packs of roving monsters only came once or twice every hour. But as the hours grind past it begins seeming like the party can’t have five minutes of peace before being interrupted by some manner of beast. It’s not just yetis and ice elementals, either: there are strange, exotic animals, all the apex of physical perfection that comes with the ability to survive in such a harsh environment. Magical constructs such as ice golems and undead dressed in the clothes of other explorers also sometimes come charging out of the snow at the party, forcing a confrontation.
littlemhigan: (FITE ME)

[personal profile] littlemhigan 2018-11-21 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh good! Jes' what we need, aye? More've the buggers..."

Castor continues to assault the one she initially attacked, this time following up with a Dragon Kick right in it's ugly face.
shinra_dog: (dirty mind)

oh man I just realized my speed is now SS

[personal profile] shinra_dog 2018-11-24 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
Eight imps. Fabulous. Reno is so ready to beat the crap out of them for making his life difficult. Dropping into a defensive stance in front of Naomi, Reno cast Spirit Surge, making sure that his next attack would really do some damage.
chatwithdeath: Art by: Aralez (Let's discuss this later)

[personal profile] chatwithdeath 2018-11-24 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Much like the ice nails glance off her, Naomi barely glances at the imp with one of her furthest eyes before turning her attention back to her group. Really, she could probably hit it with a wind spell right now, but she just decides to throw the next Regen Castor's way.

Nozomi would be the next round if needed.
littlemhigan: (FITE ME)

[personal profile] littlemhigan 2018-11-26 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Castor yells her thanks at Naomi before whipping back around to the imp. She's had quite about enough of this, thank you very much, and she already fiddling with her asterisk. A few seconds later and a greataxe appears in her hands. Batter up, imps, it's Berserker time.
shinra_dog: (bloodspatter)

[personal profile] shinra_dog 2018-11-26 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Reno grinned wolfishly. Three imps so naively took up his invitation? How perfect. He let loose a Crescent Moon at the trio, strengthened by his earlier Spirit Surge.

"How 'bout this!"
cureofmanyworlds: (Nozomi - Panic!)

[personal profile] cureofmanyworlds 2018-11-26 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Nozomi yelped in shock as she was struck by the two imps. It hurt, but not so much. She'll heal in a bit if it got worse. With that imp that got in close, she launched another Brasier at it.
cureofmanyworlds: (Nozomi - proud)

[personal profile] cureofmanyworlds 2018-11-26 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Nozomi gasped as she spotted more imps coming out of the storm. This was getting ridiculous! They needed to work better! Time to do some leadership here!

“We’re not getting anywhere here!” Nozomi said. “Sorry to do this, but you!” She points to Naomi. “Heal him” she points to Reno “and give him some sort of protection if you can!” She points to Castor. “You’re with me! Let’s get those imps of him!” And she points to Reno again. “And once you’re clear, use that attack again to hit the incoming monsters!”

And she charges off to attack one of the imps swarming Reno with her rapier.
chatwithdeath: Official Art (Consider the facts)

[personal profile] chatwithdeath 2018-11-26 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"It would be more practical if people could utilize stronger attacks that target multiple enemies."

Nozomi was being rather reckless in all honestly charging like that.

Like, yes, nice that someone wanted to take the lead at this time, but so far there had been only a few attacks made capable of inflicting damage on multiple targets, and Naomi knew herself that her wind magic only could hit a single target. Her healing and the Regen on both Reno and Castor would only cover damage for so long if more Imps appeared. Still, her plan already was to cast Cure on Reno.
shinra_dog: (Fight)

[personal profile] shinra_dog 2018-11-28 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Reno would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so focused on not getting torn to pieces. "Right -- hadn't thought of that one!" He at least could still be heavily sarcastic in tone.

He elbowed an imp out of his way, then swung again in Crescent Moon, trying to clear a path. "They just keep coming!"
littlemhigan: (U WANNA FITE?)

[personal profile] littlemhigan 2018-11-30 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
It's so tempting to give into the rage that gives Berserker it's name. Castor can feel it itching under her skin, pushing at her senses not unlike The Echo would. It whispers at her, curls around her thoughts and heart...

No, she thinks, not here. Not now.

She raises her axe, pushing away the inner beast that so wanted to consume her. Maybe later. For now, she smashes the axehead into the ground in front of her with all the force she can manage, bellowing a war cry as Ground Shaker connects with every bugger around her.
chatwithdeath: Art by: Aralez (Haunt)

[personal profile] chatwithdeath 2018-11-30 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hey, I know you can only target so many. I'm not speaking down about your skills..."

But his attitude, perhaps. She already sends the next cure Nozomi's way, Regen still in effect on Castor and Reno despite the hits taken. Until more of the imps' numbers went down a little more, she'd just stick to recovery.
shinra_dog: (let's go)

[personal profile] shinra_dog 2018-12-01 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
He'd have less of an attitude once these things were finally dead and he could get back in his tent. Why had he agreed to come on this trip? Well, besides the obvious reasons... If it wasn't about saving the world, he would be as far away from this freezing hell as possible.

At least the enemies' numbers were finally dwindling, and that bolstered him. And as long as they kept charging him in threes, he'd happily keep cutting them down with Crescent Moon. "Alright, keep it up! We got this!"
littlemhigan: (U WANNA FITE?)

[personal profile] littlemhigan 2018-12-03 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
Fucking ow. Even with the regen, those blizzard spells hurt. Castor roars in rage and pain, spinning and once again slamming her axe into the ground in a second Ground Shaker.

"I'm getting sick've these swivin' fucks..."